The Deepwater Horizon oil rig was developed and built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2001. The rig was a semi-submersible offshore drilling structure owned by Swiss-based company, Transocean. In 2001 Transocean leased the Deepwater Horizon to BP. Their lease agreement was scheduled to last through mid-2013. In 2009, BP used the Deepwater Horizon to drill the deepest well in history, at a vertical depth of 35,050. The well was located in the Gulf of Mexico, close in proximity to the gulf coast of the continental United States. On April 20, 2010 methane gas from the well ignited and exploded, killing 11 workers on the rig. Of the 94 crew members rescued from the rig, 17 sustained an injury. The injured oil rig employees have the option of contacting a Massachusetts personal injury attorney in order to hold the company responsible for the injuries and trauma they’ve experienced as a result of what has been discovered to be negligence on the part of BP.

As teams executed clean-up initiatives, the well continued to gush into the gulf until September. Local and national efforts were made to contain the oil in order to protect tourist, fishing, and other gulf-related industries. Many people who aided in relief efforts experienced negative health consequences as a result of the chemicals in the water. Despite environmental efforts to protect the gulf region after the oil spill, BP is projected to pay around $90 billion in damages. In addition to paying reparations to families, businesses, and environmental organizations, BP also faced charges for manslaughter.

The process can be complicated for people trying to collect money from BP. According to the website of Williams Kherkher, when going through the claim process, if specific steps aren’t followed within a specific time frame, people can lose their eligibility for the money that is owed them. Many people affected by the gulf oil spill have relied on lawyers to advocate for them.